At the opening of the Civil War, Richmond, Virginia was home to
the only foundry in the South that was capable of producing
cannons. Tredegar Iron Works became the source of most Confederate
armament production throughout the war. Shoulder-fired arms were
also manufactured by Confederate munitions works in Richmond. This
rifle was made with machinery and parts captured at the U.S. Armory
at Harpers Ferry, Virginia in April, 1861. These guns were the
mainstay of Confederate-produced arms. In many respects they are
duplicates of the U.S. Model 1855 Rifle-Musket, but their finish
quality is somewhat rougher because Southern-manufactured arms, by
necessity, did not receive the same degree of artistic
attention.